The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington was a fantastic read featuring a romance between a marquess accused of murder and the woman trying to prove whether or not he did it.

The Clifford Charity School for Wayward Girls brings aristocrats to justice for crimes they think they've gotten away with. After rumors of the Murdering Marquess grow stronger, Cecilia Gilchrist is sent to pose as a housemaid in the man's country estate to uncover whether or not he killed his wife. Unfortunately for Cecilia the marquess ends up being in residence making her job that much harder. Gideon Rhys, Marquess of Darlington, clearly has secrets but is killing his wife one of them?

Cecilia grew up on the streets of London before she was taken in by Lady Clifford and brought to the school. One of Cecilia's greatest strengths is her ability to empathize with people allowing her to put herself in their shoes to uncover the truth. Cecilia does have a lot of doubts about how well she can do her job because she doesn't have the same type of skills as the other ladies at the school. It was nice watching her come to realize she can help in her own way. After the death of Gideon's wife, he has been plagued by rumors that he killed her and hid her body somewhere on the Darlington estate. As a result of the rumors, Gideon has a hard time trusting people and usually assumes the worse. His skepticism isn't without merit though, so I did understand why he acted that way.

Cecilia and Gideon's romance does follow the employer/employee trope but it was thankfully missing a lot of the elements that I usually dislike about the trope. Gideon never really asserts power over Cecilia and in fact when he tries to dismiss her several times, in large part due to his growing attraction to her, she ignores the dismissal and talks her way out of it. Over the course of Cecilia's stay at the estate, the pair strike up a nice friendship which helped provide a good foundation for their relationship. Their chemistry is excellent and I thought the steamy scenes were very well done. One thing I really liked about their romance was that Gideon goes all in before Cecilia does and isn't afraid to admit his feelings for her. Obviously some issues come up near the end after the reason for Cecilia coming the estate is revealed, but they were dealt with in a mature fashion. Ultimately I was very happy with the pair's romance.

Overall The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington was a very enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to reading the third book in the series, The Virgin Who Humbled Lord Haslemere, when it releases later this year.

In this gothic romance, Cecilia Gilchrist is sent by her mentor to look into the guilt (or innocence) of Lord Darlington, or as he’s known in Society, The Murderous Marquess. Shocking rumours are flying about what happened to his wife, and since the marquess has proposed to another innocent young lady, it’s Cecilia’s job to determine whether his prospective bride is in danger.

The locals are in absolute terror of Darlington Castle, with an apparition they call the White Lady being seen on multiple occasions. The marquess, however, isn’t what Cecilia expects. He’s a man in obvious grief, and one devoted to his little niece Isabella - who nobody mentioned before either.

Cecilia is posing as a housemaid, and Gideon sees through her pretence right from the beginning. He is, however, somewhat desperate for staff, so allows his housekeeper to keep her on. Soon enough Isabella has attached herself to Cecilia and the deal is sealed.

There’s a curious little subplot with a cat who apparently only Cecilia ever sees (and I’m not sure what actually happened to the cat at the end of the story, either) and secret passageways in the walls of the castle - well, it is a gothic romance! The truth, when Cecilia uncovers it, is actually genuinely heartbreaking; I truly felt for Gideon who has lost far too much at the hands of someone clearly deranged. Cecilia’s kind nature made her a perfect match for him and I was quite invested in their happy ending.

I do like a good gothic romance: it combines two of my favourite genres, historical romance and romantic suspense, and this is a fine example. This is the first book I’ve read from this series but I’ll definitely be looking for more of them. Five stars for an engaging, enthralling read.

I was really looking forward to reading this, since it's new author to me and they are planning to translate her in my country (Slovenia). I haven't read 1st one in series, but I didn't have problems with following the storyline.

I liked Cecilia's clumsiness and her "undercover" task, she had a great chemisty with lord Darlington.
Since I don't like mystery romances, I wasn't so captivated in the whole story, but I really liked romantic aspects.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington is the second book in Anna Bradley’s intriguing The Swooning Virgins Society. I think you will enjoy this book more if you have read the first book. Cecilia Gilchrist is pretending to be a servant in the home of Gideon Rhys, the Marquess of Darlington, to discover if he is truly the Murdering Marquess. Unfortunately, she’s not very good at being a servant, she’s too small to do much of the heavy work required, and as a nursemaid, she knows more bawdy tavern songs than lullabies. Gideon is engaged to the perfect debutante, and he’s certainly not the type to lust after servants, but Cecilia is working her way under his skin and into his heart, if only he could be sure she’s not lying to him. A ghost, a nasty villainess, and a mysterious death make for an engaging story, and I enjoyed reading it very much. Medium Steam. CW: death in the past of a mother and infant in childbirth. Publishing Date: February 2, 2021. #TheVirginWhoVidicatedLordDarlington #Anna Bradley #KensingtonBooks #HistoricalRomance #GhostStory #HistoricalMysteryAndThriller #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #RomanceSeries

I enjoyed this book. The chemistry was easy to feel between Cecilia and Gideon. Plus, I thought they were very likable. They were each strong and well layered characters. The story held my interest and attention fairly steadily. The one drawback for me was that I felt the romance took a bit of a backseat to everything else. I read for the romance and like it to be front and center.

Cecilia has been tasked with finding out whether or not Lord Darlington murdered his wife as the gossip says. She goes undercover as a maid, but but does her job pretty badly the first day. But the household soon learns that she has a way with the master's niece and she soon takes over her care. Being the one in charge of his niece, but Cecilia in close contact with Darlington. This is good for the job she is to do, but the more time she spends with him, the more she falls for him.

Rhys needs a wife to help look after his niece. Heartbroken over the loss of his wife, he knows he won't marry for love again. He picks out the perfect woman for the position and proposes. Upon arriving home, he learns he has a new servant. He knows that there is more to Cecilia than she lets on and even with all her mistakes, he can't seem to let her go from her position. The longer she stays, the more intrigued he becomes with her.

But their mutual attraction is not the only thing they are dealing with. Is the White Ghost out to do them harm?

I absolutely adored Rhys and Cecilia's story! I loved watching Cecelia navigate trying to do her job of investigating Rhys as well as her job within the household, as they sometimes had her conflicted as to what to do. Her secondary characters were also wonderful and I'm guessing at least one will feature prominently in an upcoming book. This was a great addition to the Swooning Virgins Society series!

Another great book from the lovely Anna Bradley. I've really been enjoying the added air of mystery and intrigue with this series.

Cecilia Gilchrist is another of Lady Clifford's girls who help unveil corrupt members of the ton. She has been sent to Darlington Castle to find out the truth of what happened to the marquess' wife. Is he really the murderous marquess? Or is there some other villain lurking in the shadows? Cecilia poses as a housemaid to unravel the mystery.

Gideon is set to marry a new bride soon, not out of love but because his young niece needs a mother. Gideon has arrived home to his castle ahead of the wedding to figure out the mystery of "the white lady", a ghostly figure the villagers claim is the dead marchioness come back to haunt her murderous husband. Gideon doesn't believe in ghosts, but whoever it is needs to be gone before his marriage. Gideon is skeptical of his new housemaid as they butt heads from the first meeting.

As Cecilia determinedly tries to solve the mystery she can't help, but think that just maybe the marquess is not the villain. As more clues reveal themselves will Cecilia be able to piece them together before the danger becomes to great. I loved Cecilia and Gideon's interactions and the slow romance. We don't even get a first kiss until well over halfway through the book. Gideon has struggled through grief and tragedy for several years and the fact the Cecilia believes in him and trusts him is a balm for his soul.

I loved this story of a heartbroken, grief stricken marquess who finally find closure, healing and the courage to love again. Gideon didn't shy away from owning his feelings and that was a breath of fresh air after reading so many heroes who live in denial for 90% of the book. I'm looking forward to the next installment!

I recieved this book as an ARC from Netgalley, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lord Gideon Rhys, Marquess of Darlington, lost his wife and son about a year ago. He felt responsible and guilty. Everyone thought he had killed her and put her into the walls of the castle. He was being called Murderous Marquess both in London and at Edenbridge. The castle was said to be haunted. His best friend from Eton was at the house to help him find the truth.
Cecilia Gilchrist was orphaned about two, then Lady Clifford found her and took her home. She had been on the street for a couple of years. She was the one who was sent to see if Lord Darlington was telling the truth. Lord Darlington was very tall, handsome, and protective, especially of his four-year-old niece. She was the sweetest thing and astoundingly beautiful.
The tension at times during the story was very tight and scary. So many things were happening and no one knew who or what was doing them. Lord Darlington and his friend, Haselmere, searched the grounds trying to find the supposed ghost, but they never found her. His fiance and her mother were coming it was only about two weeks till they married. More things were going, on Black cats out of locked rooms, strange noises, and all manner of odd mayhem. I so enjoyed the characters, they help you understand a little of what was going on and to help keep the tension high. The love scenes were romantic, gentle, and loving. Marvelous tale and I am so glad to have been able to read it. It was a good mystery as well as the romance.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed

This is the second book in the Swooning Virgins Society series. Cecilia Gilchrist arrives at Darlington Castle to find the truth behind the rumor that the Marquess of Darlington murdered his wife. Gideon Rhys, Marquess of Darlington, doesn’t speak of what happened to his wife. Cecilia is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery despite any obstacles thrown her way.

I loved the attention to the details that created the gothic feel of this story. There was mystery and some unexpected twists. I enjoyed reading how Cecilia slowly put the clues together to figure out what happened. With Gideon, we see him open up to Cecilia. Their relationship was built over time and didn’t feel rushed.

This is an enjoyable story with great characters. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington is a well-written and very good historical romance. IT has a solid plot and wonderful characters. Loved the love story.

Another great book in this series.
Cecilia is sent to Darlington Castle to investigate the rumors that Lord Darlington murdered his wife, Cassandra. A young girl from the village is set to marry him, and everyone would feel better if the truth came out first. Cecilia arrives at the castle posing as a maid, however it is soon apparent to all that she has no idea what she is doing. Cecilia is terrified of what she will find, but even more scared of how much she has come to love both Gideon and his niece, Isabella. But, the more Cecelia investigates the mysterious death of Gideon's first wife, the more questions she has, and the more guilty Gideon looks. But how can her heart be so wrong about him?
Love this series. Cecelia's story was wonderful. I love her character, not afraid to speak up and defend those who need protection. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I knew this would be amazing by the title alone! Plus the author is one of my favorites and I love the entire premise of this series! Suspense, murder (maybe, maybe not!), ghostly sightings, humor, a gothic castle, delightful characters and a widower who will still your heart in the end. Alright, the beginning, middle and end...

Cecilia is going undercover to try to determine if Gideon, Marquess of Darlington, actually murdered his wife. The rumors are rampant and by working in his household, she hopes to ferret out the truth.

Gideon knows Cecilia is no more a housemaid than he is but as he tries to dismiss her, it doesn't stick or seem to phase her. The problem is Cecilia is really not cut out to be a sleuth be she is determined to find out what is going on. Especially when there is a "white ghost" that appear and other happenings.

I loved these two, plus Isabella, Gideon's young niece and the staff. As Cecilia tries to find the truth and she and Gideon grow close, a villain is lurking that could change everything! Loved, loved this story!

The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington, by Anna Bradley. Another awesome read by Ms. Bradley. I am in love with this book. I loved everything about it. Let’s me just say that the mystery alone drew me deep into the world of Gideon and Cecilia romance story.
There are heart stopping moments and some surprises that had me chomping at the bit to find out what will happen at the end. This story reads like fine wine, if that even is a thing. The writing was flawless. There was never and I mean never a dull moment in this book. Each chapter was better than the next.
The entertainment was never ending, which I really was appreciative of. The mystery and the entertainment wrapped together, in my opinion was to good of a book to put down. The characters performance was magnificent. The creativity behind these characters was astounding. Each character had raw, passionate, strength.
The emotions that seeped from them played like a movie in my mind. The talent that they brought in this book was definitely a game, set, match. I found the book to have realistic moments in every way. The romance between Gideon and Cecilia starts off very slow. There were a few times that I was sure that Gideon would definitely give Emma the boot. Emma’s character is very head strong. She is a woman who would never give up on looking for answers.
Emma never shied away from Gideon and she didn’t back down from danger that stared her in the face. Gideon character is strong. He works hard at protecting all that he loves and Isabella is at the top of that list. He shows his soft side and caring side when it comes to her. I recommend this book with two snaps and a twist.
Until next time my fellow readers... read on! I received a free copy of this book via NetGally and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Cecelia Gilchrist comes to Darlington Castle to learn the truth about the Marquess’s role in his wife’s death. Lady Amanda has sent her on this mission on behalf of Lord Darlington’s betrothed. Her assignment is quite fitting as Cecelia loves gothic romance novels, and this assignment puts her right in the middle of one - scary old castle, horrid rumors about the master of the castle, brooding hero, and of course, a ghost.

I love Cecelia and Gideon’s story. Like Cecelia, I am a fan of gothic romance. Cecelia is a sweet and caring girl. She is also persistent and observant, the perfect choice for this assignment. Gideon is a thoughtful person with a caring heart. He has lost much and bears the burden of blame. His niece and ward, Isabella, is a darling girl. She and Cecelia are fast friends. Gideon and Lord Haslemere, we’ll hear more about him later, are out trying to catch the ghost, who managed to scare away his betrothed. Cecelia is searching through the castle for proof of what really happened to Lady Darlington. This one has action, drama, danger, secrets, revenge, a cat with the inside scoop of castle comings and goings, and finally a love story. I really enjoyed this addition to the Swooning Virgins Society. It’s a great read; I recommend it.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

This is a delightful tale of uncovering secrets and what is going on. We have a curious servant who asks too many questions and refuses to be terminated from her positions she's wholly unsuited for. And a Marquess who is tormented by the past who wants desperately to move on while buried in rumors of his vileness. Did the Marquess of Darlington murder his wife? Cecilia Gilchrist is sent to find out as his new fiancé Miss Fanny Honeywell, is the niece of one of her school's benefactors. What's the truth and will he find happiness? The truths she discovers are surprising.

Gideon Rhys, Marquess of Darlington, has never met anyone like Cecilia Gilchrist! She's plainspoken, forthright, is way too curious, stubborn and refuses to do as she's told. It's obvious she's never been a maid, the position she's come to fill. He's in desperate need as his country home will soon host his wedding and no one will work for him. He needs an heir for the title ,and someone to mother his 3 year old niece, Isabella. Enter Cecilia who's been sent by Lady Amanda Clifford who has a school for orphans who are also taught sleuthing skills. It's rumored Gideon killed his wife and that she haunts his castle in the country. Cecilia is determined to find out what happened. Along the way she finds Gideon has a loving, protective heart that's broken. He also has a loyal friend in Benedict Harcort, Lord Haslemere. Benedict and Gideon are out every night in hopes of capturing The White Lady who haunts the castle grounds. When it comes apparent Cecilia is better suited to be the nurse to Isabella she has more time to search for answers. When we finally get answers I was surprised by the revelations.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cecelia has gone undercover on her first mission for Ms. Clifford. She is to find proof whether or not Gideon killed his wife. He has been quiet about her death, and no one has seen her grave. Thus, everyone is suspicious. So many twists, turns, and surprises! I received an ARC of this book.

Class divide amidst a gothic tale.

I guess I wasn't prepared for how gothic-y this book was.
On top of that, there was a lot going on. Gideon is a widower who supposedly murdered his wife, his new governess is Cecilia. Yet that's not all. Nope, Gideon is set to marry (not to Cecilia) and apparitions of his dead wife appear.

I'm ambivalent. Truly, I wanted to be head over heels, but this may just be a personal taste not to be all in on the gothic vibe.


3,5

Cecillia Gilchrist has been assigned the job of finding proof that the Marquess of Darlington did or did not kill his wife. With only a few weeks left before he marries Miss Honeywell, she has no time to lose. With reference for a position as a maid at Darlington Castle, it might be a difficult undercover job, Cecillia has never worked as a maid. Before Cecillia steps off the coach, she hears Lord Darlington accused of killing his wife and hiding her body. Called the Murderous Marquess. Gideon bears the heavy weight of grief for the death of his brother, the death of his wife and the suspicions of everyone in Edenbridge. The White Lady, the supposed ghost of his dead wife, haunts the woods to reinforce the rumors, but Cecilia sees a different Marquees, a man who adores his niece. Passion steams between a maid and a Marquess with a killer on the loose.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Lot's of interesting and complex characters, a wonderful story, make this a page turner. Lots of twists and turns. A must read! Thanks to Kensington Press & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

I did struggle with this story in the beginning. I wasn't sure how I felt about Gideon. I liked Cecelia from the start because of her free spiritedness. She was hesitant but brave enough to go through with her task. As the story unfolded, Gideon grew on me as his history came to light. I loved the interactions between Cecelia and Gideon, how protective he became of her, and his growing trust in her. My heart beat faster as the past met the present and the danger became more prevalent. I highly recommend this story.

I received an ARC, and this is my unsolicited review.